Improvement in nail selecting and delivering machines



npr-- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBIONv xNowLToN, oE BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNon To JAMES w.vBROOKS, TRUSTEE, or SAME PLAGE.

IMPRovEMENT |N NAN. sELEcTlNe AND DELIVERING MACHINES.`

specification forming part @mem-,rs Patent No. 136,074, dared February1e, 187e.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBION KNowLroN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts,haveinvented certain Improvements in NailSelecting and Delivering Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies andforms part lof this specification, is a description of my inventionsufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it. y Theinvention relates to a means of select- .A ing nails, or of deliveringthem uniformly head downward or point downward. In my present inventionthe nails drop from a loose assemblage into a vertical throat, having alength corresponding to the length of the nail, a width sufcient to justreceive'a nail and enable it to drop freely through it, and any suitabledepth, the nails dropping into this throat and upon two slides that passunder and form the bottom of the throat, the yheads of the nails lyingsome in one direction and some in the opposite direction. Each slide hasa nail-slot, which, if brought under the nail, lets the nail through it,and by suitable mechanism the head end of the nail, resting upon eitherslideplate determines the movement of that plate, so that automaticallythe pla-te to be moved is determined by the position of the nail, andbeing moved the nail drops through the slot of such plate, tilting downhead first, no

\ matter upon which plate the head may rest.

The mechanism may be arranged so that the point ends drop first, but thedropping of the head ends is the more readilyefl'ected.

The drawing represents a mechanism embodying my invention.

Figure 1 shows the machine in plan. Fig. 2 is a side and sectionalelevation of it. Fig. 3 is an end view.

a denotes a frame; b, a stationary crossplate, upon which rcst twoslide-plates, c d. Between two side rails, e e, extends a verticalthroat-piece, f, containing a throat or pocket, g, into which the nailsto be delivered pass, the nails lling the throat and standing one uponanother. Upon one of the rails e stand two horizontal levers ortumblers, h i, from the upper one of which extends a rod, k, which restsagainst a pin, l, extending up from the slide-plate o, a similar rod, m,extending from the lower tumbler i rests against a pin, n, extendingupfrom the plate ol. Each plate has a slot, o, which, when brought underthe throat, will let the nail drop through it. At one end of the machineis a horizontal shaft, q, carrying a cam-wheel, r, having two cams, s,which, as the Shaft is rotated, alternately raise a slide-- rod, t, therod being held normally by the stress of a suitable spring. This ro'dextends through a tube, u, fastened upon the end of 4 an arm, o,extending from a boss, w, on a rod or shaft, x. rEhe rod t slides in thesleeve u, and each time the cam-wheel rotates a cam, y, forces the rodforward in the sleeve, its return after the cam has passed beingeffected by a suitable Spring, z. To the boss fw is jointed a' linger,a2, the front end of which extends into the nail-throat. -The end of'the finger a2 is made with a shouldered notch, b2, and when the rod tisraised by the cam s the shaft or rod .fr is thereby turned and drawsback the finger. Vhen the cam-shoulder passes the slide-rod the rod isdrawn down by a spring, o2, and the nger a2 is thereby thrown-forward.lf the nail-point is in the part of the pocket into which the fingerenters, the notch of the nger will slip over the nail, so that thevfinger goes forward far enough to let the slide-rod down to its lowestposition. In this position the end of the rod tis opposite to the tailend of the lever t', and as the side cam y strikes a pin, d2, extendingfrom the rod, it moves the rod t forward against the bottom lever t',moving it, and causing its rod 'In to strike the pin u, throwing backthe slide d, upon which the head end of the nail rests; .the nail-slotof this plate coming under the throat, the nail drops through and tipsdown head first. n But it the head end of the nail is upon the plate cthe linger a will be stopped by the head, and from the consequentposition of the finger the rod t cannot drop to its lowest position, butwill remain up to such height thatas the rod is thrown forward by theside cam its end will strike the upper lever, causing its rod k tostrike the pin l and throw back the slide c, bringing its slot under thenail-throat, so that the nail drops through, its head end tipping downas before. Bya suitable receiving mechanism placed beneath, the nailsare all delivered in this uniform position. After the nail has beendischarged a pin, e2, on the side of s the cam-wheel strikes aslide-rod, f2, moving it forward, and causing it to strike a pin, g2,extending from an arm, h2, on a shaft, i2, to a collar, k2, upon whichshaft a slide, l2, is jointed, an end piece of this slide striking aprojection, n2, o n the slide-plate, and moving the plate back to itsnormal position. When the pin e2 passes the slide-rodfl, said rod isreturned to its normal position by a spring, g2.

It will thus be seen that whichever way the nail-head lies the nail willbe caused to drop down head first.

By a similar arrangement the plate having the point end lying upon itmay be the plate moved, and the slot in said plate be brought under thepocket so that thevnail shall be discharged therefrom point first.

I claim- 1. The combination, With a hopper or chute, of the finger andthe two slides, operating substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the nail-receiving socket and thetwo slides, operating to drop each nail in accordance with the positionof its head, substantially as shown and described.

l Executed this 27th day of September, A. D.

e ALBION KNOWLTON. y Witnesses:

FRANCIS GoULD, M. W. FROTHINGHAM.

